In print or on the screen?

Deaf characters in novels and on TV

I read, and thereby learn, a lot, even from fiction. Deaver’s, ‘A Maiden’s Grave’, provided useful info on ‘deaf’ (my quotes, no one left out here) communications before Sue’s hearing finally deteriorated. Deaver provided a perfect example of miss-hearing, which I’d experienced with Sue, due to impairment as the very title referred to the character mistaking ‘Amazing Grace’. Good book too.

Few years back I read a crime novel where the lead detective’s daughter was a signing deaf person (no none pc intended). Yesterday I searched the web for that book’s title, couldn’t find it but did find sites on deaf characters featured in books. So a question – would more deaf characters in writing and on screen be beneficial?

I’d think that would help increase awareness, but I’m not the best person to judge. A TV crime drama a while ago featured a lead character who’d received a cochlear implant, a couple of friends said that had given them a better understanding. Thinking about it, I don’t recall many TV shows or films where a lead character was hearing impaired.

If you have time to pass try and list some – I’ll start you off with ‘Suspect’. Back in the hey days of TV detective shows there was a blind detective in ‘Longstreet’, a wheelchair user in ‘Ironside’ and a sartorially challenged detective in ‘Columbo’ (just joking). But I’ve not seen a deaf detective or, come to that, many deaf characters that didn’t seem to be filling a quota.